Black Swan State Theatre Company

Summer of the Seventeenth Doll

by Ray Lawler

Performed
5 — 20 May 2018
at Heath Ledger Theatre

Summer of the Seventeenth Doll is one of the most significant plays in Australian theatre history. This new Western Australian production will mark its presentation by every state theatre company in the country.

Set in 1950’s working class Melbourne, ‘The Doll’ revolves around the events of the seventeenth summer where two mates, on yet another ‘layoﬀ’ season, come back to ‘live it up’ in the city with their girlfriends. However, this summer, things begin to change.

‘The Doll’ is the ultimate ‘sex in the city’ saga – seething with passion, disappointment and heartbreak, where not even love can protect those who refuse to see the realities of the changing world around them. With ‘FIFO’ and ‘DIDO’ now being a normal part of life for many Australian families, this play is more relevant to our audience than ever before.

“(Lawler) has written a play so superbly true to Australian thought and the Australian scene...We know their faces, their voices – we share their dreams, we understand their failures”. The Argus, on the world premiere in 1955 at the Union Theatre, Melbourne.

We are pleased to share that Auslan interpretation is provided for both the matinee and evening performances on Friday 11 May. Follow the links above and use the promo code AUSLAN to select seats in view of the interpreter. For groups 8+ please contact the Perth Theatre Trust at groups@ptt.wa.gov.au

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Audio Description Service and Tactile Tours: An Audio Description Service for blind or vision impaired patrons. Read more

Captioned Performances:Captions of the script of the play will be displayed on a screen to assist patrons with hearing impairments. Read more

Free Public Play Reading: Kid Stakes

City of Perth Library and History Centre

573 Hay Street

Perth, WA 6000

1:00pm — 3:30pm Saturday 5 May

Black Swan State Theatre Company is excited to present in collaboration with City of Perth the two other plays in ‘THE DOLL’ trilogy created by beloved Australian playwright Ray Lawler.

Lawler’s prequels Kids Stakes and Other Times are programmed as free public play readings in the lead in to the Heath Ledger Theatre season of the iconic Summer of the Seventeenth Doll. The prequels traced the same characters through the 1930s and40s but were actually written by Lawler much later. Kid Stakes,is a joyful portrait of the summer of the first doll, where a chance encounter brings Olive and Emma, Roo and Barney, into the shabby Carlton terrace in Melbourne to begin their journey of seasonal love. It also introduces Nancy, who is depicted as care-free and fun-loving but who turns out to be a strong and decisive character.

The bridging play, Other Times, is set during the Second World War when Barney and Roo are on leave from the army. Other Times is the fulcrum of the three plays in which the characters stop being kids and become adults. Middle age is looming, and life is no longer just a game. Nancy's decision to move on and get married changes things irrevocably, setting the scene for Summer of the Seventeenth Doll, where we see Olive ringing in Pearl in a desperate bid to continue the pairing with the boys for seasonal fun and frivolity.

Directed by Clare Watson and performed by Perth’s acting elite, this is a great opportunity to deepen your engagement with the characters and their journey through ages. A real treat for our City’s theatre lovers.

Free Public Play Reading: Other Times

Black Swan State Theatre Company is excited to present in collaboration with City of Perth the two other plays in ‘THE DOLL’ trilogy created by beloved Australian playwright Ray Lawler.

Lawler’s prequels Kids Stakes and Other Times are programmed as free public play readings in the lead in to the Heath Ledger Theatre season of the iconic Summer of the Seventeenth Doll. The prequels traced the same characters through the 1930s and40s but were actually written by Lawler much later. Kid Stakes,is a joyful portrait of the summer of the first doll, where a chance encounter brings Olive and Emma, Roo and Barney, into the shabby Carlton terrace in Melbourne to begin their journey of seasonal love. It also introduces Nancy, who is depicted as care-free and fun-loving but who turns out to be a strong and decisive character.

The bridging play, Other Times, is set during the Second World War when Barney and Roo are on leave from the army. Other Times is the fulcrum of the three plays in which the characters stop being kids and become adults. Middle age is looming, and life is no longer just a game. Nancy's decision to move on and get married changes things irrevocably, setting the scene for Summer of the Seventeenth Doll, where we see Olive ringing in Pearl in a desperate bid to continue the pairing with the boys for seasonal fun and frivolity.

Directed by Clare Watson and performed by Perth’s acting elite, this is a great opportunity to deepen your engagement with the characters and their journey through ages. A real treat for our City’s theatre lovers.

Exclusive Dinner Event

Heath Ledger Theatre

7:30pm — 11:00pm Saturday 12 May

Experience a dining event full of fanfare as we transform the State Theatre Centre courtyard into a 1950s beer garden for this exclusive extended dinner interval performance of Summer of the Seventeenth Doll.

You will be welcomed into this private fairground space in the Courtyard which will include music, side-show games, prizes, surprise guests and more! A 'Gourmet Ploughman's Hamper’ is available to purchase with a drink for $35 pp through catering partner, Beaumonde Catering.

ADD ON OPTIONS WITH HAMPER

+ Chef’s Famous Scotch Egg 4.0+ Pork & Pistachio Terrine 4.5

Talking FIFO and DIDO

Heath Ledger Theatre Foyer

6:00pm — 7:00pm Thursday 17 May, hosted by Clare Watson.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION

Be sure to join the conversation ‘The Boys Are Back in Town’ by purchasing tickets to Summer of the Seventeenth Doll by Ray Lawler and Hir by Taylor Mac. These shows have some very interesting parallels and we'd love you to see them both. Our greatest Australian classic sits side by side with a hilarious cutting edge new American play. Both plays begin with men returning home only to find things have irrevocably changed. These men are grappling with their own identities within these shifted realities. Tickets available at www.bsstc.com.au.

This FREE public panel discussion, Talking FIFO and DIDO on Thursday 17 May at 6pm in the Heath Ledger Theatre foyer, is just one of the activities we have programmed as part of this mini-festival pairing. Register to attend here.

This panel discussion will be hosted by Clare Watson, Artistic Director. She will be joined by:- Laura Fruhen, Research Fellow (Management and Organisations, UWA Business School), currently undertaking extensive research on FIFO work.- Stephen Gallagher, family support liaison with Ngala.- Mark Greenwood, psychologist and Director of People Solution. Mark specialises in safety and career transition.- Megan Harrison, FIFO wife and mother.

Lotterywest Live Broadcast

'The Doll', it will be broadcast live in high-definition on Friday 18 May at 7.30pm from the State Theatre Centre of WA in Perth to regional WA audiences.

7:30pm — 7:30pm Friday 18 May

Continuing on the success of past live broadcasts, we are excited to share our eighth Lotterywest Live Broadcast with Summer of the Seventeenth Doll, the great Australian classic about love and homecoming. Affectionately known as 'The Doll', it will be broadcast live in high-definition on Friday 18 May at 7.30pm from the State Theatre Centre of WA in Perth to regional WA audiences.

'The Doll' is one of the most significant plays in Australian theatre history. Set in 1950’s working class Melbourne, in the seventeenth summer where two mates, on yet another ‘layoff’ season, come back to ‘live it up’ in the city with their girlfriends. However, this summer, things begin to change.